BLUE LAKE RETREATMarble Falls, TX

Responding initially to the site’s steeply rising topography, a vertically structured house reveals itself as the obvious design for this lake house. Leveraging the home's tall stature, living spaces culminate at the top floor, set just above the tree line and providing nearly a 180 degree view of the lake beyond.

The third floor north facing glazed wall offers unobstructed views of the lake, while punched openings give glimpses of the rugged hillside behind, showcasing the counterpointed landscapes.

Emphasizing the site’s two uniquely juxtaposed landforms — water and rugged hillside — the third floor's cantilevered deck reaches out toward the lake while a bridge anchors into the hillside, connecting the house to its surrounding landscape.

Four separate bedroom retreats are tucked below on the lower two floors. All circulation runs exterior, allowing its guests to further immersion into the outdoors and an appreciation for leaving the city behind to enjoy a weekend getaway.

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· PERFORMANCE REVIEW ·

· FERRARI FXX K 2015 SPECS & REVIEW ·

Ferrari’s new FXX K research and development programme receives its world premiere next weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The laboratory-car is based on Maranello’s first hybrid model and will grace the world’s tracks from next year onwards. The K in its moniker is a reference to the “KERS” kinetic energy recovery system it adopts in maximising its track performance.

Unfettered by homologation and racing regulations, the FXX K will never be used in competition. It was, in fact, developed to be completely uncompromising, incorporating technological innovations that will guarantee an unprecedented driving experience to the exclusive group of Client-Test Drivers with whom the Prancing Horse will roll out a test programme over the coming two years.

The car’s enormous potential is attested to by two significant figures: a total power output of 1050 cv (860 cv delivered by its conventional V12 engine and 190 by its electric motor) and maximum torque in excess of 900 Nm.

The FXX K’s 6262 cc V12 features new camshafts and a modified valve train with mechanical rather than hydraulic tappets. The intake manifolds have been redesigned and given a special type of polishing treatment. The exhaust system has been modified as its silencers have been eliminated.

The HY-KERS system has been evolved specifically for pure performance with the result that the driver can control the function logics from the specific 4-setting Manettino on the centre console: Qualify, for maximum performance within a limited number of laps; Long Run to optimise performance consistency; Manual Boost for instant maximum torque delivery; and Fast Charge, for a fast recharge of the car’s battery.

A focus on delivering maximum efficiency at every stage of every track lap has resulted in extensive but integrated work on the entire car body in terms of both active and passive aerodynamics.

The front of the car is dominated by a twin-profile spoiler and a larger splitter, which is 30 mm lower, with a gap in its centre. This design is an application of the concepts developed to improve aero balance in the GT category of the WEC, which Ferrari has won for three consecutive years. Two pairs of vertical elements, an endplate and, externally, a dive plane, together with vertical fins channel the air towards the car’s flanks, generating a longitudinal vortex that creates a localised depression. This in turn sucks the wake from the wheels to the outside of the aerodynamic underbody. Along with the side skirts that extend out from the sills, the vortex helps isolate the airflow from the underbody to boost its efficiency.

The solutions on the rear of the car are highly sophisticated, too. The tail section is now higher and the mobile spoiler extends further for a total increase in extension of 60mm when fully deployed. A vertical fin and a small wing each side of the tail act as guide vanes in the low drag configuration and boost the spoiler’s efficiency in the high downforce one. This system also creates considerable downforce at the rear of the car, allowing the use of an extreme diffusion volume for the rear diffuser which optimises air extraction from the underbody. The section of the flat underbody just ahead of the rear wheels is also exploited to the full to generate downforce thanks to the reduced pressure in the wheel arch guaranteed by the direct connection to the rear of the car by a by-pass duct.

The result is a 50% improvement in downforce in the low drag configuration and a 30% improvement in the more aggressive downforce configuration, resulting in a figure of 540 kg at 200 km/h.

Vehicle dynamics are further improved by the adoption of Pirelli slicks complete with sensors that monitor longitudinal, lateral and radial acceleration, as well as temperature and pressure. This ensures an accurate analysis of the interaction between the tyre and track surface, providing even more vital data to enable the traction control system to guarantee maximum performance.

Statue of Liberty · Ellis Island · New York · USA

Engineering, Construction, and Crossing the Atlantic

Frenchman Edouard de Laboulaye first proposed the idea of a monument for the United States in 1865. Ten years later sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was named “Liberty Enlightening the World” and was a joint effort between America and France.

It was agreed that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States.

However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prizefights assisted in providing needed funds. Poet Emma Lazarus wrote her famous sonnet “The New Colossus” in 1883 for the art and literary auction to raise funds for the Statue's pedestal.

Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such a colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright.

Back in America, fundraising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, "The World," to support the fundraising effort. Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate.

Architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the Statue of Liberty's granite pedestal in 1884, donating his fee to help fund the Statue. Financing for the pedestal was completed in August 1885, and pedestal construction was finished in April 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June 1885 onboard the French frigate "Isere."

In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was reassembled on her new pedestal in four months’ time. On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland oversaw the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late.

The Rich History of Liberty Island

The story of the Statue of Liberty and her island has been one of change. With the placing of “The New Colossus” on a plaque in the pedestal in 1903, Lady Liberty’s significance grew as an inspiration to immigrants who sailed past her on their way to America. The Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which had been completed for the War of 1812).

The United States Lighthouse Board had responsibility for the operation of the Statue of Liberty until 1901, when the care and operation of the Statue was placed under the War Department. A Presidential Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a National Monument on October 15, 1924, and the monument's boundary was set at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In 1933, the care and administration of the National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service.

On September 7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe's Island and in 1956, the island's name was changed to Liberty Island. On May 11, 1965, Ellis Island was also transferred to the National Park Service and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

Preserving the Statue for Future Generations

In May of 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca, Chairman of Chrysler Corporation, to head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue of Liberty. Fundraising began for the $87 million restoration under a public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., to date the most successful public-private partnership in American history.

A team of French and American architects, engineers, and conservators came together to determine what was needed to ensure the Statue's preservation into the next century. In 1984, scaffolding was erected around the exterior of the Statue and construction began on the interior. Workers repaired holes in the copper skin and removed layers of paint from the interior of the copper skin and internal iron structure.

They replaced the rusting iron armature bars (which joined the copper skin to the Statue's internal skeleton) with stainless steel bars. The flame and upper portion of the torch had been severely damaged by water and was replaced with an exact replica of Bartholdi's original torch, which was gilded according to Bartholdi's original plans. On July 5, 1986, the newly restored Statue reopened to the public during Liberty Weekend, which celebrated her centennial.

If you wish contribute with preservation of this monument... Visit:

· DESIGN & STYLING REVIEW ·

Farewell, Guy Smiley: Maserati Unveils Refreshed 2018 GranTurismo

It has been a decade since Maserati released its GranTurismo, and it goes without saying that the GT world has moved on significantly since the car’s debut. Maserati has attempted to keep pace by adding power and sticking various unfortunate plastic bits to the machine’s fundamentally lovely Pininfarina-designed form, while teasing us with the delayed sex-bomb Alfieri. Recently, the FCA unit unveiled a refreshed version of the venerable GT in front of the New York Stock Exchange, and then it pulled the wraps from the droptop variant at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. If it’s not the show stopper the GranTurismo was at launch, it’s at least free of that godawful dark grin that has been plaguing Sport and MC versions of the car for years.

The GT variant that Maserati showed off at the stock exchange was the higher-performance MC Stradale, which will be joined by a heavier Sport model. All GranTurismo models feature the last living iteration of the wonderful naturally aspirated Ferrari-Maserati V-8, which offers 460 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 384 lb-ft of torque at 4750 rpm, In this era of 10-speed automatics, the GranTurismo offers only a six-speed ZF unit bolted directly to the engine, having dispensed with the previous car’s optional MC Shift single-clutch automated transaxle.

According to Maserati, the Alfieri inspired the GT’s new nose. It features a hexagonal grille and gaping cheek ducts, which might take on a slightly more restrained form on the as-yet-unseen Sport. The company claims the new face helps reduce the Cd from 0.33 to 0.32. The rear bumper has also been redone. Modena says the Sport coupe will hit 62 mph in 4.8 seconds and do 186 mph, which is notably 1 mph better than Joe Walsh’s old car. MC coupe customers can expect 187 at the top end while shaving a tenth off the Sport’s zero-to-62-mph run.

Inside, customers are treated to four seats upholstered in Poltrona Frau leather, while an Alcantara-and-leather interior treatment is optional. The new GT also features a revised infotainment system, offering an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, as well as a Harman/Kardon premium sound system.

At launch, the GranTurismo was roughly competitive within its segment. These days, even a base 911 Carrera will embarrass the sporty MC during stoplight drags, as will a hulking Mercedes-AMG S63 cabriolet. The car has been successful by Maserati standards—the Modenese factory has produced more than 37,000 GranTurismos over the past decade—but it requires an owner who prizes exclusivity over performance. Finally, it does have one ace up its tailored sleeve: if you’d like a new car with a naturally aspirated Italian V-8, it’s now the only game in town.

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel embrace together after the race

Lewis Hamilton says receiving one of Ayrton Senna's race helmets after matching the Brazilian legend's record of 65 Formula 1 pole positions is the 'most special thing' he could imagine.

Hamilton was in sensational form as he captured his sixth Montreal pole – which was also his 65th career pole in F1, moving him level with Senna for a share of second place in the record books, behind only Michael Schumacher on 68. As part of the post-session interview, the Mercedes star was presented with one of Senna's famous yellow helmets, leaving him in a state of shock.

Ayrton is the one who inspired me to be where I am Lewis Hamilton "I am shaking," Hamilton said. "Ayrton is the one who inspired me to be where I am. To match him and receive this is the greatest honour".

"Ayrton is the one who inspired me to be where I am." Lewis Hamilton

"For the Senna family to send me this… is the most special thing I have above and beyond all my trophies and everything.

"I am honoured to be honoured by that family and honestly I couldn't be happier."

Having idolised Senna as a child, Hamilton said it was bizarre to now be level with the three-time world champion.

"Literally as a kid I'd come home and say ‘one day if I'm really lucky and I can get to Formula 1 I'd want to emulate Ayrton'. The fact that I've now reached him in that area – I just can't believe it.

Honestly I can't believe it. "My final lap worked perfectly – I could see my delta picking up and getting excited, but at the time I had no comprehension about the 65th – I forgot that, it was the here and now.

"I just want to say a big thank you to my family for supporting me all these years and giving me the opportunity to be here today. I am standing here today, but the work they put in behind me… no one could imagine. But I know.

"I live in an apartment in Monaco, so I don't have a lot of space for a lot of trophies. But I've definitely got space for [the helmet] - maybe my table centre piece in my living room so it's the first thing you see when you come in!"

Monte Carlo Bay & Marina

At just a little over one square mile, Monaco is the world’s second smallest country - only the Vatican is smaller. The tiny nation, surrounded by France on three sides a beach on the fourth, packs luxury, Michelin starred restaurants, a harbor with a flotilla of multi-million dollar yachts, five star hotels and high fashion shopping into that mile, making it a playground for the rich and famous for over 150 years.

A tuxedo is an absolute must for Monaco. You’ll feel at home from the world-class restaurants to the baccarat table. A thin shawl collar, like Monaco, is a classic that will never go out of style and evokes the era when American actress Grace Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco.

Joël Robuchon · Monte Carlo Restaurant

EAT

Renowned chef Joël Robuchon has 26 Michelin Stars across his 17 restaurants. Joël Robuchon, the restaurant bearing his name, owns two of them. The Mediterranean- influenced selection of prix-fixe cuisine focuses on the highest quality ingredients in a dining room with an open kitchen and sweeping terrace views.

There’s a reason the Casino De Monte-Carlo has appeared in two James Bond films. The Belle Epoque architecture of the building, that first opened its doors in 1863, evokes the luxury and joie de vivre of Monaco. The classically appointed gaming rooms and terraces are the perfect backdrop for an evening of international intrigue in a bespoke tuxedo.